whimsey21

Hi all,
I will be making my first trip to Copenhagen in early December. It is a work trip, and I'll be taking the train out to Ballerup for work, but want to stay in the city so I can use my evening hours to see a little bit of the city. I generally like to do a lot of walking around cities in my spare time, to see what I can and get a feel for the local culture.

My colleagues have all booked a hotel near the train station - this is probably the logical thing to do, but of course I want points! My usual chains are Hilton and Radisson, and since the Hilton is out by the airport, I'm thinking my best bet along those lines is the Radisson Blu Scandinavia.
From looking at maps, it looks like a 20 minute walk from the Radisson to the train station and Tivoli. I can see that there is a metro not far away, but am not sure how much time (if any) that saves to get to various touristic areas over walking. For those of you familiar with Copenhagen, can you tell me what the area around the Radisson Blu Scandinavia is like? Is the walk to/from the train station area reasonable, or am I going to find it unpleasant (either due to the neighborhood, or the weather in December)?

As I've never been to Copenhagen, any advice is appreciated.

stut

Hello whimsey21,

As we have a dedicated Nordic forum with some Copenhagen experts, I'm going to move this thread over there. Please continue to follow this topic in the Nordic forum.

stut
Moderator
Europe Forum

helosc

This thread ought to be moved to the Nordic forum for more answers.
Add : The moderator is really fast..... or I am a very slow poster.

Any reason why you are not considering the Radisson Blue Royal Hotel which is right in the middle of town and next to the Main station and Vesterport station?
It is not only more centrally located for sightseeing, it is also more convenient for catching the train to Ballerup.

That said the Radisson Blu Scandinavia is easily reachable by bus from the Main Station and the Town Hall Square (5A, runs very often). The bus stop is closer to the hotel than the metro stop as far as I can see on the map and you can't reach the Main Station or the Town Hall square by metro. The metro services Kgs. Nytorv, Nørreport Station and Nyhavn though.

The area around the hotel is a bit boring, I find.

No problem walking except that I find it to be too far to walk in the cold and considering that you don't have much time.

Post in the Nordic Forum if you have any other questions, about transport or other practical matters.

whimsey21

Thanks for the move- not having been to any of the Nordic countries, I didn't realize there wasts dedicated forum.

stut

Must admit, I'm not a fan of the Radisson Blu hotels in Copenhagen at all, nor their locations (although the Royal is at least near the station).

The Rad Scandinavia is in kind of nothing area. The walk to more interesting parts of town is OK, but you're could be facing howling cold winds walking over Langebro in December (I've cycled over there in -15C, I don't recommend it!)

The metro system is quick and efficient, with little driverless trains running every 5-10 minutes. It would be quick to get you up towards Kongens Nytorv (for Nyhavn) and that part of town. Towards the station and Tivoli, you're probably better off on the bus - they're pretty easy to figure out. If you're planning on taking the S-Tog out to Ballerup (don't know your arrangements - taxis are ruinously expensive, though), then the main station (Kobenhavn H) is the hub, but there are also stops on a loop round the city centre.

Personally, I tend to prefer to stay more in the centre in Copenhagen, and haven't found a chain that gives me the right balance of location, consistent price and quality, so I tend to stay at a variety of boutique hotels instead (and the odd local chain). But I do also tend to cycle around there - although if this isn't something you do regularly, December in Copenhagen is not the place to start.

The good news is that it's a fantastic city for just wandering around. And, to be fair the Scandinavia, you can head both towards Tivoli and through Christianshavn towards Kongens Nytorv, etc (there's little of interest in that part of Amager otherwise).

whimsey21

I would have loved to stay in the Radisson Blu Royal, but for the dates I'm going to be in Copenhagen, the price is way above what my employer will pay. The Scandinavia is much cheaper that week.

helosc

What about the Radisson Blu Falconer on Frederiksberg?
It seems cheaper than the other two ( for a random date in beginning of December).
It's not in the tourist center of town as such but at least it is in a nice area with shops and such. It is a much livelier area than the Radisson Scandinavia. There is a very nice street ( Gl. Kongevej ) that will lead you straight into town either by walking or by bus.
Very close to a metro stop and also close to busstops with several busses that'll take you into town.
Transport to Ballerup is also easy from there - you won't need to backtrack to the main station. You can get the metro at Frederiksberg metro station, change at Vanløse Station to the train to Ballerup Station. The whole trip will only take 20-25 minutes.

FlyerTalker01565

While Frederiksberg may be a nice idea, it's not ideal for a first time visitor to Copenhagen. Frederiksberg is very quiet, especially at night when OP is off work - I lived there two years before I moved back to Copenhagen proper to at least get an idea of living in a capital city. From the Scandinavia, OP is a short walk from the city center, Islands Brygge and the metro to Kgs. Nytorv (the "other" city center).

whimsey21

That was sort of my rationale as well-- I figured from the Scandinavia I'd be able to walk to some of the city center areas, and also to the Christmas Market/Tivoli in the evenings after everything else had closed.
That said, I do wonder if I'm being silly in trying to get the points, and if I'd be better off staying near the train station to be a bit more central and closer to the city center...

FlyerTalker01565

I'd personally look at a hotel close to Kgs. Nytorv and forget the points if I were you. Definitely the nicer city center and much closer to things you want to see - with far more interesting nightlife options (save for the Meatpacking District, which is closer to Town Hall Sq.).

whimsey21

Do you have any recommendations?

gnaget

I would go for Falconer. You will save ~15 min each way to Ballerup. The S-train loops around so you save 6-7 stops on the ride. Also, Copenhagen H is a pretty miserable station that is nice to avoid.

As Stut mentioned, it is extremely unpleasant to walk across Langebro in winter. It's always windy and miserable around there. You also have a longish walk to the nearest metros.

Falconer is only two metro stops from Norreport, which is the heart of downtown or one more stop to Kgs Nytorv, which is the nicest part of downtown. You could walk to the Tivoli area (maybe 2-2.5 km) or catch a bus down Gl Kongevej. Frederiksberg is a nice area so you have pleasant surroundings. And there are some gentrified parts of Vesterbro. But the area were your colleagues are probably staying is nasty with the old school seedy prostitution bars and red light district around Istedgade in the back of the station. E.g. http://www.kakadu.dk/

The Scandinavia is in the middle of nothing. The only thing somewhat close by is Christianshavn. Here you can go to Christiania and have dinner at Spiseloppen. There are also some restaurants outside the "free city". Also take the opportunity to walk up to the top of Vor Frelsers Kirke. It it is the church with the spiral tower.

FlyerTalker01565

Yes. First, I'll have to reiterate you will regret going to Frederiksberg as a first time visitor.

Area close to Kgs. Nytorv, recommendations:

- Admiral Hotel
- 71 Nyhavn
- Hotel Phoenix

and obviously, Hotel D'Angleterre, which may not be within your company's travel allowance.

If you don't want to choose between Town Hall Sq. and Kgs. Nytorv, the Skt. Petri Hotel (close to Nørreport S-train and metro, bonus!) is a short walk from both 'centers' right in the middle.

Otherwise Hotel Nimb by Tivoli is neato as well.

I'd go for Admiral. It's really nice, reasonably affordable, very New Nordic (save for the ugly carpet) and has a great bar/restaurant where locals come. If you've been in a million Accor Groups/Hiltons/Marriots around the world like I have, this will be a welcome change of scenery.

And hey, you're a stone's throw from the Royal Castle and Nyhavn/Kgs.Nytorv. Lived in the area for a while, I absolutely love it.

helosc

I would like to mention that staying at the Admiral does not make for an easy or fast transfer to Ballerup which I find should be taken into consideration as it is a work trip.
As for D'Angleterre and Nimb they are not options due to being very expensive.
The Admiral is probably also above budget.

The area around the Radisson Blu Falconer is not boring in my opinion - many shops, a shopping mall and plenty of cafes and restaurants.

stut

The Scandic Front is my favourite in the Nyhavn area. If budget it tight, there's also a Wakeup hotel in this part of town - tiny rooms, but a solid, modern hotel.

Near the station, Tivoli and Kødbyen, I like the Andersen Hotel, but it's right in the red light district, and pretty in your face at night. Some great places to eat nearby, though.

Up the other side of Rådhuspladsen is the new and decent, if overhyped, new Sp34 hotel, where I stayed recently. Also a good area to be based in, and handy for Vesterport station. Like the Andersen, it's a traditional round-a-courtyard style hotel that's been nicely refurbished.